1.16 Ct. Padparadscha Sapphire from Madagascar

This gem is a rare and desirable 1.16 carat cushion shape padparadscha sapphire, GRS certified, with a Pinkish Orange Sunset hue that reads as a delicate balance of warm pink and orange. The proportions at 6.37 by 6.16 by 3.19 mm produce a near square face up that is very pleasing to the eye, and the mixed brilliant cut has been executed to bring both lively scintillation and controlled color saturation. The GRS certificate confirms both the natural origin and the absence of treatments, and the notation no enhancement is a critical point for educated buyers who prize natural color stability and long term value. The clarity is graded as very very slightly included evaluated at eye level, which for corundum means the stone is essentially eye clean and provides an uncluttered window into the vibrant internal color, while the excellent polish ensures crisp facet junctions and clean reflections. Taken together, these details establish provenance, durability, and aesthetic quality that collectors and connoisseurs look for.

Origin matters for padparadscha sapphires, and this stone comes from Madagascar, a source that has produced many of the finest pink to orange sapphires in recent decades. Madagascar material is prized because it can show strong, pure padparadscha tones at relatively fine saturations without heavy zoning, and the geological conditions there often yield corundum with good crystalline clarity. For a buyer who understands supply dynamics, a natural, unheated padparadscha of intense color and VVS clarity from Madagascar represents a meaningful scarcity premium. The 1.16 carat weight sits in a sweet spot where the color reads robustly for most ring settings, yet the stone remains wearable and comfortable, as demonstrated in images that show how the cushion form sits on the finger. The hardness and toughness of corundum mean this sapphire will be suitable for daily wear when set responsibly, and the excellent polish minimizes micro abrasions and preserves a signature brilliance over time.

The cut of this cushion padparadscha is central to its visual performance, and the mixed brilliant configuration has been chosen to enhance the gemological properties of corundum. A mixed brilliant cut typically pairs a modified brilliant style crown with a step or mixed pavilion, creating a synergy where smaller crown facets disperse light into vivid flashes, while the pavilion geometry returns light efficiently for overall brightness. In this stone, the crown facets act like tiny prisms that break white light into subtle flashes of pink and orange across the table and crown, increasing perceived brilliance without losing color. The pavilion angles have been calibrated to avoid excessive windowing that would make the gem appear washed out, while still permitting enough light return to create lively scintillation as the stone moves. Because padparadscha sapphires can exhibit some pleochroism, the mixed brilliant layout further enhances the three dimensional color choreography, allowing the pink and orange components to play off each other as the gem is tilted, which intensifies the sunset effect for the wearer. The result is a balance of strong face up color and energetic internal life, a hallmark of a well executed cut for colored stones.

For the educated buyer, value is a function of color, clarity, cut, origin, and treatment status, and this sapphire scores highly on each axis. The intense color intensity confers immediate visual impact, while the very very slightly included clarity evaluated at eye level means collectors will appreciate the apparent purity of tone without invasive inclusions. The GRS certification gives independent verification of origin and the no enhancement claim, which is increasingly important for resale and provenance tracking. From a design perspective, the cushion silhouette and medium depth make the gem versatile, performing beautifully as a solitaire in warm metals like rose gold that complement the pinkish orange tones, or as a center stone in more elaborate settings where accent stones can emphasize the hue. When advising clients, The Natural Sapphire Company emphasizes that a natural Madagascar padparadscha with this combination of size, cut, polish, and untreated status is rare in the market, and represents both an aesthetic and investment quality that will satisfy connoisseurs and clients seeking a timeless, wearable centerpiece.